My Mother's Daughter
by Rui
Summary: Ryoko has to babysit a sick Mayuka...


# **My Mother's Daughter**

By: Yimh [rictorstar@aol.com][1]

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: The following is a very pointless story, I was just bored and decided to write something. This is what came out. Please don't flame me!!!! 

DISCLAIMER: Aww...you should know the gig by now! 

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Mayuka wailed louder in a protest of being ignored and the only one within earshot ground the palms of her hands into her ears. The child's face was glistening with tears that had fallen since early in the morning. Groaning, Ryoko finally lost the battle within herself and scooped up the baby from its crib and transported downstairs. 

The living room was, of course, deserted which was no great surprise. Every time that Mayuka fell ill, everyone seemed to suddenly have full schedules leaving the child with her father. Of course, Ryoko thought as she patted the crying babe in her arms on the back, Tenchi seemed to be a miracle worker with his baby girl. When anything went wrong, he could always make it better with just a touch or gesture to the girl. 

But he went back to school in the city and left the others in charge of watching the sick baby girl. Kiyone had been the first to excuse herself from baby sitting by claiming that she was overdo with doing a list of chores, and Sasami's reason was much the same. Mihoshi had volunteered but ended up crying over Mayuka, so Aeka bravely took up the next round with the girl. She lasted an hour or two longer than the blond did but soon found herself becoming aggravated and 'commanding' the baby to be quiet. 

Washuu was elected but she declared that she was going into her lab until she got a cure for Mayuka's illness. Tenchi's father happily announced that he was going to work and made a dash for the door, his Grandfather was at the shrine and not too found of spending that day watching a baby. In short, Ryoko was the only one caught tongue tied and available for sitting. 

Don't doubt that she didn't try with all her wits and might to get out of caring for the silvery black hair child. She tried everything from feeling ill herself, to a need for a space trip to pick up her dry cleaning, nothing worked. Sometimes, Ryoko thought darkly, having a telepathic relationship with her 'mother' really put a damper on her life. 

So she plopped down on the couch, a crying Mayuka gently resting in her arms. The demon princess winced in pain as the child reached a new octave in her screams right next to Ryoko's innocent ear. Grumbling under her breath, she tried to arrange the baby in a more comfortable position, and hopefully one that would send it in to dream land for the rest of the week. 

Nothing seemed to work with this kid! Mayuka only cried harder and screamed louder when touched, changed or attempted to be fed. The child hadn't crying for almost two solid hours, and only Sasami had been brave enough to come into the living room searching for Aeka and Mihoshi for a shopping expedition. 

Ryoko sank lower into the couch cushion gently rocking the fit thrower in her arms. Mayuka's eyes were pinched tightly together, her chubby little fingers were balled into small fists and stayed by her head. This was getting annoying. 

/I'm never going to have kids./ Ryoko swore in her thoughts, shaking her head back in forth slightly for emphasis. For a moment, she felt a warm chuckling in her mind, Washuu was eavesdropping into her mind again. 

Huffing even more annoyed with the nosy mother than with the child screaming bloody murder. Ryoko sent a sharp reply over the link, which covered the warmth with an icy breath. 

"Come on!" Ryoko started, shifting Mayuka till she looked her in the face. Each of her hands were securely tucked under each of Tenchi's daughter's arm. 

The baby continue to cry. 

"What do you want! I've feed you! Changed you! And did every other thing that normally shuts you up! What is their left for you to complain about?!" Ryoko's strained nerves were just about to make her snap and leave the baby on the couch to scream its little heart out, or at least until she got a sore throat from her carrying on. 

Instead of her nerves, it was her heart that snapped like a brittle piece of wood. Mayuka though still crying, opened her large, dark brown eyes to Ryoko's narrowed gold eyes. Tears trickled out of the innocent orbs quickly, and made slippery trails down her face and dropped off her round chin on to her baby sitter's lap. 

Ryoko's breath caught in her throat. Why hadn't she noticed it before? Mayuka had Tenchi's eyes. The same dark chocolate color, soft with emotion but glistening with tears. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't feeling good, it wasn't her fault that she couldn't talk yet and tell somebody what hurt, and what could make it feel better. Everything that suddenly dawned on the clueless Ryoko came out like a flash in the sad eyes of the child. 

A blush colored her cheeks without reason as she held the child close to her, "I'm sorry. But this is all still new for me." Ryoko pointed out to the whimpering girl. Her mind was switched to an odd autopilot that most would call maternal instincts. A sweet melody began to softly escape her throat in a relaxing hum. 

To the cyan hair woman was astonished after only twenty or so minutes of this new over drive that Mayuka had began to coo and groggily giggle. Before the next full hour passed, the baby girl lay content in Ryoko's arms sleeping lightly listening to the rhythm of her holder's heart. 

Outside the windows, the sun was slipping lower into the mountains, leaving the stars to prick their white light in the rainbow shaded skies. The moon began to smile, as its crescent form emerged from the thick smear of pink in the heavens. As its water lapped against the sandy walls of its bed, the lake mirrored an image of the masterpiece blending and dancing together. 

But none of this caught Ryoko's attention. Her golden eyes, the color of the harvest moon, was glancing tenderly at the life in her arms. Warmer than any spring day, a feeling blossomed in her chest, one that wanted to stay just the way she was for forever. A kindly smile appeared on her face as she stroked the side of Mayuka's round, pudgy face. 

Unbeknownst that the colors of the sky were shimmering delicately on them both, but to their spectator, Ryoko glowed with a light all of her own. 

"Wow! I'm surprised!" Washuu began, pushing herself off the doorframe leading into her laboratory. 

Ryoko's gaze immediately became unreadable and emotionless as she watched the elder woman draw closer to the couch. "Washuu." 

The pink hair lady looked around, glancing from the ceiling to the wall, down to the floor then into Ryoko's questioning eyes. "You took care of the baby all by yourself and didn't destroy a thing! I'm impressed!" 

Ryoko glared, and began to stand up. She moved slowly and smoothly to her feet, as not to wake up the still sleeping Mayuka. The baby whimpered, which caused the women's attention to fall upon her form. Sighing, Ryoko was pleased to see that it was only a sleepy complaint about being moved. This action didn't go without being noticed by the world's greatest scientific genius, and her first response was a sly smile. 

"Well, looks like you've gotten attached to the cute little Mayuka." Washuu pointed out, granting her another mock glare from her daughter. "And how fortunate that she's Tenchi's daughter! When she's older maybe she can put in a good word for you, huh? When she learns to talk that is!" 

Ryoko humphed at the remark, and floated over to where her mother was so pleased with herself and reached out the baby. The scientist was happy to take the child, but that wasn't going to stop her from telling the truth in the slight change she saw in the space pirates attitude toward the child. 

Sure, she loved the little girl, it had become a rule in the house. But Ryoko always seemed to drift away when it came to caring for the baby, only too happy to get the things that were required but was very reserved when it came to using them. Baby sitting was something that she had been able to avoid for three months straight, after the last time and Ryoko punching several large holes in the kitchen wall for reasons of her own, no one was eager for her to take the sitter's title anytime soon. 

"You do love her Ryoko, I know." Washuu said, shifting the baby into one arm, and taping the side of her hand with one finger of her free arm. "Not just for herself, but for being blood to Tenchi." 

"What are you talking about?!" Ryoko snapped the words out quickly. "All I want to do with the kid is teach her how to fight! When she's old enough of course." 

Washuu grimaced at this proclamation; "I saw the way you looked at her. You wish she could have been yours don't you?" 

Ryoko face-faulted. 

Collecting her composure quickly, the pirate turned in mid air, crossed her arms and gave her usual smirk. "And how did you come with that one, eh 'MOM'." Ryoko's words did as she intended when the one they were directed at face became disgusted. 

"You look at her," Washuu began, her expression changing to her normal serene look. "The way I look at you." 

A ton of bricks, connected to a plane, that was carrying the Titanic landed on Ryoko's head in a split second. 

"Well, anyway," the small woman spoke in her unnatural higher pitched voice. "Thanks for taking care of her, I'll be glad to take it over from here." 

Ryoko sat on the floor still stunned. 

"Wonder where you learned to take such good care of a baby?" the lady teased. 

Shaking her head from the foam of disbelief, she turned to see Washuu reentering her lab, her door already half way shut when she called out the words, "Just proves I'm my mother's daughter." 

Washuu did a round about but was only greeted with the disappearing form of her 'perfect' creation, and only smiled before going back into her room.

   [1]: mailto:rictorstar@aol.com



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